Five weeks after losing his job as the Phillies closer, Hector Neris lost his roster spot in the major leagues.
The Phillies demoted Neris to triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday afternoon after he struggled again in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 10-9 win at Milwaukee. They replaced him with Austin Davis, a 25-year-old lefthander who had success in the triple-A bullpen.
Neris has been charged with runs in six of his last nine appearances and did not seem to have the trust to be used in high-leverage situations. Gabe Kapler moved him out of the closer’s role after Neris blew two saves in five days.